Public Health is governed by a Board of Health consisting of provincially appointed local municipal councillors, mayors and community members and is mandated to support the well-being of individuals and communities. See the members of the Board of Health.
Dr. Nicola Mercer, Medical Officer of Health, updated the Board on:
Sex Ed
This fall, Ontario schools will be teaching a Sexual Health Curriculum that was in place in 2014 prior to the revised curriculum. The Ontario government is committed to engaging parents in a consultation on how to update the curriculum that respects parents and cultures across the province. Public Health, with its long experience working in schools and knowledge of sexual health, could be an important source of information during the planned government consultation process for the new curriculum. A letter from the Board of Health to the Minister of Education will request that Public Health participate in the upcoming consultation. View the full Board Report.
Data Driven Decisions
Public Health provides quality data, surveillance and analysis to help make decisions about program planning, service delivery, resource allocation and policy development. Public Health is now publically sharing this information using online interactive reports. These interactive reports showcase local data used to build healthy communities, strengthen collaboration and support local health system planning. You can access these reports at wdgpublichealth.ca/data.
Cannabis in the Community
On October 17 it will be legal in Canada to purchase, possess, and consume cannabis for non-medical reasons. 22% of Grade 10 students in Wellington and Dufferin counties and the City of Guelph have used cannabis in the past year. Cannabis-related Emergency Department (ED) visits among local residents is higher among youth than adults over the age of 25. Public Health is involved in data collection activities to increase our understanding of cannabis use and outcomes, public education to support youth and adults to make informed decisions, and policy support to local municipalities. Public Health’s education and awareness campaign will increase knowledge and awareness around the risks associated with cannabis use and support informed decision making. The education campaign will be based upon survey data about local cannabis use and build on federal and provincial campaigns. View the full Board Report.